


Welcome Home

by alacran



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Coffee and comfort, EXTREMELY self-indulgent, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22595512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alacran/pseuds/alacran
Summary: A lone Au Ra finally comes back to the place he desperately longed for.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 4





	Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chantel_k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chantel_k/gifts).



> This is very self indulgent which is the usual for fanfiction but this is more so. You've been warned!

Late into the night and shortly till morning, the sound of a successfully completed teleport rang out followed by the crash of armor falling to the floor. After lifting itself off the ground, a tall figure lumbered through the yard of one of the many houses that populated the ward of The Mist housing district, barely seen through any light but the faint ones emitted by the aether crystals nearby.

As the figure slowly approached the entrance, the clanking of multiple pieces of armor came to an abrupt halt as it seemingly reached its destination. Hesitantly, a hand was placed upon the door, but before it could be pushed open the door swung wide to reveal a small but imposing figure of a blonde female lalafell still clad in an outfit she used for crafting. 

"Who in the hell is making all that racket at time of ni-" The words caught in her throat as she realized who was standing in front of her. Alacran Cero. A Paladin of Ul'dah,the Warrior of Light, a part time writer, but most importantly: her closest companion. 

The Au Ra could only barely muster the smallest of smiles as he looked down upon his greeter with glowing eyes. "Well good evening to you too Tiel."

"Where have ya been!? Where did you get that armor!? Why did you come back in the middle of the night!?" Tiel spat off almost instantly. If it was any other night he would have found the barrage from his compatriot amusing. But before Alacran could respond, she raised her hand to hold onto his and met his eyes completely. "Forget all that though, why do you have that look on your face?" 

At that his gaze hardened and he couldn't help but look away. _Don’t break down now you damn fool._ He felt her grip on his gauntlet tighten and without missing a beat Tiel led him inside the sanctuary, closing the door behind them and away from the outside world. 

Alacran noticed that there had been some redecorating while he had been away, but thankfully he still managed to locate where his favorite sofa was and fell into it with a loud thud. If it had been made by anyone else, he would have been more careful. But he knew better than to ever doubt her craftsmanship. Her personal hoard of gil obtained in the markets also proved any other would-be doubters wrong as well. 

The moment he found a comfortable position to lay, Tiel walked in holding two cups of coffee. _Her favorite from the smell of it._ He thought to himself. He took the one she held out to him deftly even with cumbersome gauntlets and took a small sip. The caffeine felt like a shot of lightning and the sweetness was exactly how he liked it to counteract the usual bitterness. While he was enjoying his drink Tiel made her way onto _her_ favorite spot, his lap. 

Not even flinching once he felt Tiel's weight on top of him Alacran continued to sip his coffee in silence. Now that he was finally home and away from all of that, it was music to his ears. The tenseness he’d held for what seemed like ages started to wear off. He was home, he was safe, and he was with her once more. 

After a few minutes he took the last gulp of drink and reached over to place it gently onto the table. Without a word he sat up slightly and took Tiel's empty cup that she put forward and placed it right next to his. 

Both laid there in silence for what seemed like hours but could only have been a few fleeting moments at best. Neither knew who should speak first. Eventually the silence was broken by Tiel as she asked the question that she had been waiting to ask since he walked through the door. 

"You came back from the source didn't you?" 

She felt him tense underneath her. Her heart beat rapidly as the dread of having pried too deeply rose within her. It was the last thing she wanted to do to him. He relaxed a moment later and she exhaled the breath she herself had been holding in.

"Was I that obvious?" Alacran finally replied, barely above a whisper. 

"I figured it would have to be either that or some other equally traumatic experience, but I recognized some of the engravings on your armor as a signature of Grenoldt. I have the same markings on my robes." As she said this she pointed to the aforementioned signature on the inside cuffs of the white mage robes. 

"They're nice robes for a soddin lala."

"And it's fairly nice armor for a shite dragon."

And with that he smiled, and she returned it in kind. He missed this dearly. They both did.

Laying back down he stared up at the ceiling, and started to recall his journey through the First. Of course with her being a Warrior of Light as well, she had been on the same exact one but still she nodded along to show her attention. He knew that she knew, but he needed to let it out. To tell _someone_. For his own peace of mind. 

At first there were the moments that amused him. His initial bewilderment at being thrust onto a new world with endless daylight. Being taken by surprise at the growth and changes his fellow scions had taken in their “absence”. He could see the faintest blush from Tiel when he mentioned Urianger’s particular new job and the outfit it entailed. He tried not to let his irritation show.

Then there were moments he struggled to get through. Where adventure turned into horror. The birth of a sin-eater burned into his mind for the rest of his life. Something he desperately wished wouldn’t happen. However the worst moment was near the end, when he thought he would lose everything and everyone. With all the scions vulnerable and Hades had backed him into a corner he didn't think he would find a way out of. But he had found a way. A way for everyone to make it out alive. Save for one. 

By the end of his tale, tears had already formed and fallen for both of them multiple times. 

"I'll always remember. Whether that's right or not I'm still uncertain, but I will _always_ remember." Alacran strained to say.

Tiel could only nod her head in agreement.

"It's funny, it's almost like a story written as some sort of soddin joke.” Alacran continued. ”We as the 'Warrior of Light' will always experience the same thing no matter what. Yet even if you had told me everything I still wouldn't have been prepared for what was to come." 

"If I had told you everything I'm not sure you would have believed me." Tiel said wistfully. 

Alacran could only laugh. He hadn't heard truer words spoken in a long time. With his laugh he realized that he finally came to accept what had happened and a feeling of relief washed over him. Then, another feeling replaced it soon after it had passed. 

Without hesitating, he lifted his hand and gently placed it upon the top Tiel’s head. Something he hadn’t done in ages but felt like the right thing to do at the exact moment. Tiel’s eyes widened and she turned her head with a look of disbelief that only made his smile widen. Before she could say whatever it was that was on the tip of her tongue he made sure to look at her directly and all thoughts within her ceased. 

“Thank you.” he said to her in as sincere a tone he could manage. “Thank you not just for coffee or the comfort, but for all these years. Thank you for all of the healing, sass, and even the big pulls. _Especially_ those. For all the times we’ve been together through the thick and thin of it, and the times when we've done nothing at all. Even when I take my little breaks, I’m never more grateful for anything more than being able to have a home to come back to.” _As well as having someone to come back home for._ But he held back that thought from escaping his lips. He wasn’t going to blow it now. He breathed a deep breath before proceeding. 

“So again I say, thank you. I’m going to take another hiatus from being the Warrior of Light for a little while once more. I’ll try to catch up on any reading I’ve missed out on and who knows, I might even scribe some of my time in the first into a tale. But most importantly, I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”

He lifted his hand from her head and waited with bated breath for the response. The house had never felt more quiet until this exact moment and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. _Thank Halone I’m wearing plate armor._

A few more ticks of the clock could be heard before Tiel steadied herself and plopped off his chest and back onto solid ground. Alacran felt his chest disappear along with the feeling of her on top of him. But just as quickly as he missed her presence her face appeared right in his field of view. As close as she’d ever been to him, and his brain told him to run while his sodding body refused to move.

Before he could even consider what to do next he felt a warm tiny hand placed on the top of his head. After a few soft pats it turned into a ruthless ruffle of hair that felt as if his head would fall off. With his vision obstructed by hair, all he could hear was a familiar giggle. 

“ _That_ was payback for catching me off guard in case you were wondering. But to answer your little speech, you’re welcome.” Even if Alacran couldn’t see her, he could hear the smile in her voice. “Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to the crafting I put on hold for this little reunion. Get some rest, you’ve earned that much at least. You can catch up with the others tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be ecstatic to see you.” Tiel said as she walked off towards the door that automatically slid open to her presence. 

Right as she was about to complete her exit, she turned around just as Alacran finally fixed the mess of hair on his head and they each made eye contact with one another. It was then that he noticed her cheeks seemed a bit more flushed than usual. As his mind toiled as to why that was Tiel cleared her throat and pulled his attention. “One last thing before I go, since it would be unfair to just let you be the only one to do it.” And this time it was her turn to flash a smile at him. A smile that he was sure he’d never get tired of seeing. 

“Thank you. ” And before Alacran could ask what for, she sped off back to her crafting haven somewhere in the recesses of her room. 

He laid his head back and stared up at the ceiling, mulling over everything. Not just the events of the night, but everything else in his life. All his adventures, his triumphs, his defeats. The scions, his company, and all the ones in between. But through all of it there was one constant for most of it, that always managed to worm her way into his mind; and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

His eyelids became heavy and his breathing became steady, he let sleep wash over him and he had the feeling that it would finally be the easiest one he’d had in ages. As his consciousness drifted off a lone figure appeared in his mind, wearing a set of white robes and donning a particular pair of spectacles. A smile crept on his face as it spoke the words he longed to hear:

_Welcome home._


End file.
